Even a king must earn his way. A queen must pay her dues, be dutiful in all things royal, and earn that crown.
Certainly, a king can inherit the throne, even without learning how to rule, but then he doesn’t rule at all. He crashes and burns.
Catherine the Great ruled 34 years as empress over Russia. She ruled well, and she was loved by her people. Her son Paul inherited the crown after her death in 1796. He never learned to rule. He bludgeoned through his short time in office, creating more havoc than ensuring the well-being of his people. He was hated and killed in a palace coup only five years later.
Jump ahead a little over a century, and we read of the story of Czar Nicholas in the early years of the 20th century. His starving constituents revolted, killing him and his family, and the Soviet Union was born.
1 Chronicles 18:14 tells us of a better king:
“So David reigned over all Israel, and he administered justice and equity to all his people.”
Psalm 26:1-5 reveals David’s secret to his success:
“Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness. I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.”
If we look to the book of Revelation, we learn in 3:21 that Jesus grants the victorious Christian “the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne.” If we’re on the throne, we are, by right, kings along with Christ.
Revelation 1:6 in the King James Version of the Word reinforces that, saying we are “kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
We are indeed raised to kingship through Christ. Now is the time to prepare. We’ll be a Catherine and rule well, or a Paul and bludgeon our attempts to lord ourselves over others. The difference is found in the ways of David, who administered justice and equity to all his people.
It boils down to the Golden Rule found in Matthew 7:12:
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
These are Jesus’ words. He lifts us to become kings. He wants us to rule well.
When we model ourselves after the life of Christ, we’ll find success as his child.
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Code: FGO.K.20.16b.vp.esv